Driving School for Taft Charter High Students

California requires two things before a teen can apply for a driver's license:

• Minimum 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed driving school (this is what our lesson packages cover)
• Minimum 50 hours of supervised driving practice with a parent, guardian, or licensed instructor. At least 10 hours must be at night

The 50 hours can be tracked using our free California driving log. Individual or custom lessons with our instructors count toward this total.

Students who want more time with an instructor beyond their standard package can book individual or custom lessons at any point. These are a great option for:

• Extra practice on specific skills (freeway driving, parking, canyon roads)
• Logging additional hours toward the 50-hour DMV requirement
• Night driving practice with a licensed instructor (counts toward the required 10 nighttime hours)
• Building confidence before the DMV road test

Ask us about individual lesson options when you sign up or after completing your package.

Practice the skills from the most recent lesson before progressing further. The quieter neighborhoods around Woodland Hills work well for this.

• Quiet residential streets with minimal traffic
• Empty public parking lots (school or shopping center off-hours)
• Avoid jumping to busier roads or freeway until the instructor confirms the student is ready

Students who practice between lessons advance significantly faster. Less time reviewing old material means more time building new skills.

Spreading lessons across the full 6 months of the learner's permit is what we usually recommend. It gives families time for supervised practice between sessions, and each lesson can build meaningfully on the previous one. We know TCHS families juggle school, sports, and activities, so we plan around your schedule when needed.

This is completely understandable and far more common than people assume. Families should never feel pressure to practice beyond their comfort level. Just wait for the next lesson. The instructor will check readiness and take it from there.

This is a single targeted lesson, usually scheduled 1-2 weeks before the test. The instructor reviews DMV expectations, runs a mock road test, points out any habits that could cost points, and gets the student dialed in before test day.

If you have already booked your DMV appointment, share the location with us. We will work to practice nearby beforehand, within legal limits. Keep in mind that DMVs prohibit driving the actual test route during business hours, but our instructors know the roads around local DMV offices well and can prepare your student for similar driving conditions.

The refresher lesson works well on its own, and pairs naturally with the day-of test prep package below.

This is our most hands-off option for families. When you book the DMV Test Prep package, we work with you to find a DMV appointment that fits both your schedule and our instructor and vehicle availability. No DMV scheduling stress for you. If you're using this package, please don't book your own DMV slot separately, as we may not be available for that date.

On test day, we pick your student up about an hour before the appointment. Woodland Hills families often appreciate the warm-up portion: we run focused practice on streets near the testing DMV, then drive to the appointment in our licensed, insured, and test-ready vehicle. The instructor handles check-in, confirms paperwork, and offers last-minute tips and a confidence boost right before the examiner arrives.

No need to provide a car, arrange a ride, or sort out DMV logistics. We take care of everything.

For most families, home pick-up is the most convenient and common choice. Your instructor comes directly to your front door at the scheduled time, greets the student and, when a parent is available, briefly discusses the lesson plan beforehand and shares progress at drop-off.

There is a 15-minute arrival window built into every lesson to account for traffic. Lesson time is always taught in full from the moment the instructor arrives, with no portion shaved off because of a delayed start.

A convenient option on school days or after activities. Students can meet us at or near the front of school at Santa Rita St and Winnetka Ave. Our vehicles have a large leaf logo on the side. The instructor will exit to greet your student when safe, or your student can approach and enter directly.

Pick-up and drop-off can sometimes be different locations. For example, picked up at Taft Charter High School and dropped at home.

Pick-up spot: Woodland Hills

Following every lesson, your instructor sends a written assessment by email to both the student and parent. It covers what the student practiced, how it went, and the priorities for between-lesson work. When a parent is at drop-off, the instructor also takes a few minutes to talk through it in person.

Practice what your most recent lesson covered. The progress report will spell out specifics, but the general principle is simple: get comfortable with what you just learned before stepping up to anything more advanced.

• Quiet residential streets, good for Level 1 review
• Empty parking lots, good for parking, turning circles, and low-stakes maneuvering
• Main streets throughout Woodland Hills once residential driving is solid

When a student and parent or guardian don't feel ready to practice a skill without an instructor, the best choice is to wait for the next lesson. Don't take on situations that feel unsafe.

Male and female instructors are both available, and you can read bios before booking any lesson. You can also switch between our Toyota Prius and Lexus SUV, both equipped with dual brake controls for instructor safety.

We accommodate instructor and vehicle requests based on availability. Assignments happen on a first-come, first-served basis when you book.

Meet all of our instructors

It is common for students to use both test prep options as a sequence: first a refresher lesson in the days before the road test to polish skills, then our full DMV Test Prep package on test day, when we coordinate the appointment, bring a licensed and insured vehicle, check the student in, and give a final confidence boost before the examiner arrives. Together they cover preparation and execution.

Book a DMV prep lesson